October 22, 2012
In Maryland, a person who is convicted of a sexual offense must register as a sex offender with the state registry. Even if the offender was convicted out-of-state and lives in Maryland, or is convicted and moves to Maryland, he or she must register. Convictions include:
- the person was found guilty by a jury or judicial officer
- the person entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere
- the person is granted a Probation Before Judgment after a finding of guilt, but is ordered to comply with the registration requirements as a condition of probation; or
- the person is found not criminally responsible for a crime.
A convicted sex offender must file a registration statement, which is public. That statement includes the following information: name, address, age and date of birth, photograph, place of employment, registration category (Tier I, II, or III), term of registration, legal and plain language description of the crime, among other things. The online registry, however, does not contain all of this information. It does show the sex offender’s photograph, name, charge, last known address, and tier.
The Registry categorizes sex offenders into three tiers, which are generally based on the nature of the offense and the age of the victim. If you hover over the underlined text, you can get a definition of the offense.
Tier I sex offenders must remain on the Registry for 15 years, and have been convicted of either:
- 4th degree sex offense ;
- possession of child pornography;
- engaging in illicit conduct in foreign places;
- failure to file factual statement about an alien individual;
- misleading domain names on the internet;
- misleading words or digital images on the internet;
- sex-trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion;
- transmitting information about a minor to further criminal sexual conduct; or
- travel with intent to engage in illicit conduct.
Tier II sex offenders must remain on the Registry for 25 years, and have been convicted of:
- 3rd degree sex offense ;
- abduction of a child under 16 for prostitution;
- distribution of child pornography;
- hiring a minor for a prohibited purpose;
- operating a house of prostitution;
- human trafficking;
- the sale of a minor;
- sexual conduct between a correctional or Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) employee and an inmate or confined child;
- sexual solicitation of a minor; or
- a registrant with two Tier I convictions.
Tier III sex offenders must remain on the Registry for life, and have been convicted of:
- 1st degree sex offense (or attempted 1st degree sex offense);
- 2nd degree sex offense (or attempted 2nd degree sex offense);
- 3rd degree sex offense ;
- 1st degree rape (or attempted 1st degree rape);
- 2nd degree rape (or attempted 2nd degree rape);
- assault with intent to rape or sexually abuse;
- child kidnapping (under the age of 12) or abduction of a child under 12;
- continuing course of conduct with a child;
- false imprisonment of a minor;
- forcible sodomy;
- incest;
- kidnapping;
- murder with intent to rape, sexually offend, or sexually abuse a minor;
- sexual abuse of a minor;
- sale of a minor;
- sexual conduct between a correctional or DJS employee and an inmate or confined child;
- forcible unnatural or perverted practice; or
- a registrant with two Tier II convictions, or a Tier I and Tier II conviction.
If you are charged with sexual offense while in Maryland, be sure to contact an attorney with Cochran and Chhabra at 888-268-5515.
The law office of Cochran & Chhabra has provided this website and its content for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to be legal advice or counsel. Your use of this site and its content does not construct a lawyer-client relationship with Cochran & Chhabra. You should consult an attorney for individual advice concerning your particular situation.
